Beta Reading

A lady in my local writers’ organization asked me to read and give feedback on a short story she’d written. Although I had beta read for someone I know well, I was slightly nervous to read for a new acquaintance who had won an award for her writing.

She asked for my opinions, thoughts, and suggestions, and as I read, I realized it was easier than I’d expected. I’m not a grammar or punctuation expert, but I could tell when the story’s tension rose and fell. I recognized passages that were smooth and relayed humor or insight, and I noticed when prose was choppy or rough. I simply read the story and made comments and suggestions in the margin.

The bravest thing I’ve ever done was giving my first manuscript to someone else to beta read. When it was returned, I was shocked by all the comments even though they were supportive and helpful.

I grew as a writer while beta reading the short story. Too bad I forgot to run a spell check.

Book-Themed Parties

During the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, I joined the Tea Travellers for a walk-in-the-footsteps trip up the California coast by train. The trip celebrated J.S. Devivre’s Tea Cozy Mysteries, a five-book historical series set in Pacific Grove in the 1920s. As in the books, we visited Hearst Castle and Carmel, and stayed in the Pacific Grove Victorian bed and breakfast that was the fictional protagonist’s home.

Now that Detective McGregor’s second case, Murder Goes on Vacation, is almost ready for beta readers, I’ve been thinking about a book release party. The second book is set in Las Vegas although McGregor is on the Fresno police force. Both locations are unwieldy for an afternoon book launch party. The Las Vegas setting is a computer convention, but I’m guessing computer stores don’t allow parties in their aisles. However, there are some casinos in the area…

Happy New Year!

Last January, I made a list of resolutions for 2019, but failed miserably keeping most of them. This January, I prefer to list my accomplishments from last year.

• Retired 
• Published a children’s picture book 
• Traveled far and near 
• Kept in touch with family and friends 
• Became more involved in my local writers’ groups 
• Donated to my favorite non-profit organizations 
• Signed up for online classes in 2020 to improve my writing skills 

One of my mature friends told me he got wiser with age and stopped making New Year’s resolutions. I’m jumping on his boat.

Best wishes for a happy and fulfilling New Year!

The Writing Dream

Writing a novel is a popular subplot in this year’s holiday movies on television. Three movies playing this past week as I wrapped presents and baked holiday treats had main characters with dreams of writing a book.

Perhaps the dream of writing is more widespread than I imagined. I’m exposed to groups of writers and aspiring writers in my local and online writers organizations. I myself had not considered writing until 2 ½ years ago. Since then, I’ve completed and indie-published a mystery novel and a children’s picture book.

My writing dream goal for next year is to create a better book by studying the craft. I signed up for online classes in 2020 to improve my writing, revising, and editing skills.

Writing takes time and commitment, but it’s a rewarding hobby. I expect it’s even more rewarding to see your books lining bookstore and library shelves. Perhaps some year I might find out.

Happy holidays!

Scene of the Crime

For twenty years, I’ve had a Thanksgiving weekend potluck and pickin’ party called the Bluegrass Turkey Jam. Cold, rainy weather like we’ve had this holiday weekend doesn’t deter musicians. The house was packed with pickers and the music was great!

Bluegrass jams can get pretty rowdy though. Last night for instance, a glass of wine got knocked out fighting with a banjo. The banjo won.

Banjo players (undeservedly) get a bad rap and frequently are the butt of jokes. At one bluegrass festival, a crime scene outline of a body and a banjo was painted on the ground in front of the stage.

I recently joked that the murder of a banjo player at a bluegrass festival wouldn’t work for a Detective McGregor mystery because no one would care enough to look for suspects… but I’m actually considering that plotline for a book.

Ladies of Intrigue

The Sisters in Crime (SinC) organization supports women (and men) mystery writers. My local chapter, Orange County SinC, held its annual Ladies of Intrigue conference on November 10 in Costa Mesa, California. The headliners were J. A. Jance and Laurie R. King. Panel discussions included the themes of setting (Greta Boris, Rachel Howzell Hall, and Wendall Thomas), research (Mary Anna Evans, Betty Webb, and Ellen Byron), and suspense (Steph Cha, Kaira Rouda, and Laurie Stephens).

The conference was educational for both readers and writers, and the 100+ attendees were able to meet and talk to the authors. The all-day event also included book sales (which could be personally inscribed), gift basket raffles, and a delicious lunch.

I thought this year’s conference was even better than last year’s, but that may be because I’d read more of the authors’ books. Or perhaps because I had the honor of driving one of my favorite authors, Mary Anna Evans, creator of the Faye Longchamp archaeological mysteries, for the weekend.

NaNoWriMo Month

November is the flagship National Novel Writing Month during which the traditional goal is to write a 50,000-word draft for a new novel. My project, though, is a work in progress I began November 2017. My goal (again) is to finish revisions on the second Detective Scott McGregor mystery, Murder Goes on Vacation. 

Yesterday afternoon I worked on defining and fleshing out Scott’s internal conflict in several scenes while struggling not to cross the line between flawed character and weak character. I thought about character development again last night before I drifted off to sleep.

This morning I wasn’t surprised to find Scott in bed with me when I woke. “It’s early, and I want to sleep longer,” I mumbled.

“No, wake up. I have an idea,” the Scott character in my mind said.

“Stop crowding me. Move over and be quiet.”

“No, get up. I have something to tell you.”

Knowing he wouldn’t give up, I sat up, grabbed the pen and paper from my bedside table, and jotted down the inspiration before it evaporated.

Yup, it’s NaNo month.